My group uses exclusively physical dice because whenever they roll something strange it feels (to use a example from the poet Dante) more like fortune is turning her wheel but when digital dice do the same thing it feels unbalanced. Essentially, superstition.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
[roll]7d6[/roll]
Every post these dice roll increasing my chances of winning the yahtzee thread (I wish (wait not the twist the wish threa-!))
I have switched over to using D&D Beyond for everything except dice rolls. The group I play with are still using pencil and paper and it just felt natural to continue rolling physical dice. I am curious, how many people are using the digital dice over physical dice regularly? I am thinking of going completely digital.
I don't even use D&D dice. I use a third party digital dice for everything, except rolling up a character. If I wanted dice to roll over my screen I just assume use physical dice to roll across my table. 😊
As a DM, I use the digital dice. I have a hard enough time keeping track of everything, and the digital dice do the math and record the roll. Neither is a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I find every little bit helps. I also find the digital dice slightly faster. Also as a DM, I really like it when my players use digital dice when they're making complicated rolls, like for a bunch of animated objects.
We use a mix of both - some use physical dice, others roll digitally. Both work well, but with digital rolls (looking at you DnDBeyond) you do have to watch to make sure they don't glitch (like roll the same number 20 times in a row).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
Is there a place inside campaigns to record your manually rolled dice? Some of us play with the digital ones, but some of us really like our shinies. We’re trying to at least be coherent and be able to log our one shots when we aren’t together or if someone misses.
Playing dnd with digital dice is like chugging non alcohol beer, followed by a strong cup of decaf coffee.
real dice for me.
I feel like your argument is the wrong way round and you should be comparing rolling real dice to drinking 0% beer or decaf (neither of which are bad things). As someone who enjoys both of those things, I do so for the experience, not for any "practical" reason of getting inebriated/stimulated. And the same is true of rolling physical dice over digital; it's about the experience rather than any pragmatic reason.
Playing dnd with digital dice is like chugging non alcohol beer, followed by a strong cup of decaf coffee.
real dice for me.
I feel like your argument is the wrong way round and you should be comparing rolling real dice to drinking 0% beer or decaf (neither of which are bad things). As someone who enjoys both of those things, I do so for the experience, not for any "practical" reason of getting inebriated/stimulated. And the same is true of rolling physical dice over digital; it's about the experience rather than any pragmatic reason.
Uhhhh-exactly. ? And in-line with what I said…. I believe. I don’t think the first half of your paragraph lines up with the 2nd half. Alcoholic beer and caffeinated coffee are ‘real’. Physical dice are ‘real’. They’re comparably satisfying…ish.
Playing dnd with digital dice is like chugging non alcohol beer, followed by a strong cup of decaf coffee.
real dice for me.
I feel like your argument is the wrong way round and you should be comparing rolling real dice to drinking 0% beer or decaf (neither of which are bad things). As someone who enjoys both of those things, I do so for the experience, not for any "practical" reason of getting inebriated/stimulated. And the same is true of rolling physical dice over digital; it's about the experience rather than any pragmatic reason.
Uhhhh-exactly. ? And in-line with what I said…. I believe. I don’t think the first half of your paragraph lines up with the 2nd half. Alcoholic beer and caffeinated coffee are ‘real’. Physical dice are ‘real’. They’re comparably satisfying…ish.
/ mandatory imo caveat
No, you're misunderstanding me.
It's not about "real" or "fake", it's about function vs experience
Physical dice and digital dice both generate random numbers with a degree of randomness suitable for a game of D&D. That is the practical function. However, physical dice have an experiential component, the tactical nature, the sound they make, etc.
Alcohol free beer and caffeine free coffee are likewise experiential; it's about the taste, the sensation of a cold beer rather than getting drunk, the satisfaction of a hot coffee rather than getting that caffeine jolt.
Both physical dice and 0% beer/caffeine free coffee are experiential in nature, not practical. It's about the feel of it not any pragmatic benefit.
I'm not saying either is 'real' or 'fake', 'better' or 'worse'. I'm not assigning judgement values to either beverage choice or dice preference (the best way to approach things), I'm just saying your analogy seems backwards; comparing the functional dice choice to the experiential beverage choice.
With all due respect, digital dice will never be as good or better than physical dice.
Digital dice are nothing more than a quick fix, easily implemented and used system that if done right comes close to physical, but will never come close to sweaty nervous gut twisting feeling of watching and hearing them bones rattle around and hang for what seems as an eternity for the dice gods to decide on pleasure or pain.
Physically tossed well weighted dice, hitting the back and sides of a felt lined stiff cardboard shooter box is a far sexier thing than some fake wanna-be, but that’s my opinion.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
My group uses exclusively physical dice because whenever they roll something strange it feels (to use a example from the poet Dante) more like fortune is turning her wheel but when digital dice do the same thing it feels unbalanced. Essentially, superstition.
[roll]7d6[/roll]
Every post these dice roll increasing my chances of winning the yahtzee thread (I wish (wait not the twist the wish threa-!))
Drummer Generated Title
After having been invited to include both here, I now combine the "PM me CHEESE 🧀 and tomato into PM me "PIZZA🍕"
I don't even use D&D dice. I use a third party digital dice for everything, except rolling up a character. If I wanted dice to roll over my screen I just assume use physical dice to roll across my table. 😊
As a DM, I use the digital dice. I have a hard enough time keeping track of everything, and the digital dice do the math and record the roll. Neither is a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I find every little bit helps. I also find the digital dice slightly faster. Also as a DM, I really like it when my players use digital dice when they're making complicated rolls, like for a bunch of animated objects.
As a player, I'm happy to roll either way.
We use a mix of both - some use physical dice, others roll digitally. Both work well, but with digital rolls (looking at you DnDBeyond) you do have to watch to make sure they don't glitch (like roll the same number 20 times in a row).
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
My group mainly seems to use digital, but I prefer physical. Just do whatever works for you :)
Playing dnd with digital dice is like chugging non alcohol beer, followed by a strong cup of decaf coffee.
real dice for me.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Is there a place inside campaigns to record your manually rolled dice? Some of us play with the digital ones, but some of us really like our shinies. We’re trying to at least be coherent and be able to log our one shots when we aren’t together or if someone misses.
I feel like your argument is the wrong way round and you should be comparing rolling real dice to drinking 0% beer or decaf (neither of which are bad things). As someone who enjoys both of those things, I do so for the experience, not for any "practical" reason of getting inebriated/stimulated. And the same is true of rolling physical dice over digital; it's about the experience rather than any pragmatic reason.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Uhhhh-exactly. ? And in-line with what I said…. I believe. I don’t think the first half of your paragraph lines up with the 2nd half. Alcoholic beer and caffeinated coffee are ‘real’. Physical dice are ‘real’. They’re comparably satisfying…ish.
/ mandatory imo caveat
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
No, you're misunderstanding me.
It's not about "real" or "fake", it's about function vs experience
Physical dice and digital dice both generate random numbers with a degree of randomness suitable for a game of D&D. That is the practical function. However, physical dice have an experiential component, the tactical nature, the sound they make, etc.
Alcohol free beer and caffeine free coffee are likewise experiential; it's about the taste, the sensation of a cold beer rather than getting drunk, the satisfaction of a hot coffee rather than getting that caffeine jolt.
Both physical dice and 0% beer/caffeine free coffee are experiential in nature, not practical. It's about the feel of it not any pragmatic benefit.
I'm not saying either is 'real' or 'fake', 'better' or 'worse'. I'm not assigning judgement values to either beverage choice or dice preference (the best way to approach things), I'm just saying your analogy seems backwards; comparing the functional dice choice to the experiential beverage choice.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Ah-then we definitely disagree.
/gathers dice in close
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
We need a dice cam that captures video of physically rolled dice
Started playing AD&D in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in 2023
With all due respect, digital dice will never be as good or better than physical dice.
Digital dice are nothing more than a quick fix, easily implemented and used system that if done right comes close to physical, but will never come close to sweaty nervous gut twisting feeling of watching and hearing them bones rattle around and hang for what seems as an eternity for the dice gods to decide on pleasure or pain.
Physically tossed well weighted dice, hitting the back and sides of a felt lined stiff cardboard shooter box is a far sexier thing than some fake wanna-be, but that’s my opinion.